On the night of 10 January 2026, don't miss out. "Jupiter closest to Earth this year" will shine brightly all night, visible to the naked eye from dusk until dawn.
It has been reported that the Facebook pageNARIT, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand,posted a message stating that on the night of 10 January, "Jupiter will be closest to Earth this year," shining brightly all night, inviting people to enjoy its beauty through free telescope viewing during NARIT AstroFest 2026, the astronomy festival on National Children's Day at all five NARIT observatories nationwide.
On 10 January 2026, which coincides with National Children's Day, Jupiter will be in opposition to the Sun (Jupiter Opposition), meaning the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter are aligned in a straight line with Earth in the middle. This places Jupiter at its closest position to Earth this year, approximately 633 million kilometers away.
On that day, after the Sun sets, Jupiter will appear bright in the eastern sky, visible to the naked eye throughout the night until dawn. Observing through a telescope with a 4-inch diameter and magnification of 30x or more, viewers can see the four Galilean moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto—and the beautiful cloud bands of Jupiter. With magnification of 100x or more, the Great Red Spot, a giant storm larger than Earth by 1.3 times, can be clearly seen.
NARIT plans to set up telescopes of various sizes and organize activities to observe Jupiter at its closest this year during NARIT AstroFest 2026, the major astronomy festival of the year on National Children's Day 2026, on the night of 10 January 2026 from 18:00 to 22:00. The star watching is free of charge at the five main observation sites nationwide as follows:
Information courtesy of NARIT, National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand's Facebook page.